Martha Donovan awardees ‘exemplify leadership potential’ among women in Rady Faculty
Twelve women students and faculty members in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences will have the opportunity to develop their leadership skills thanks to a newly established fund.
The Winnipeg Foundation’s Martha Donovan Leadership Fund is a $250,000 scholarship fund created to provide leadership development opportunities for women in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences by supporting leadership training. This year’s inaugural recipients come from the Max Rady College of Medicine, the College of Nursing and the College of Pharmacy.
Dr. Sara Israels
Dr. Sara Israels, vice-dean, academic affairs, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, noted there were 34 applications from highly accomplished women at all stages of career development.
“I was impressed by the commitment of the applicants to enhancing their own knowledge and expertise, and to leadership goals that will benefit both the university and the community,” said Israels. “This year’s awardees exemplify the leadership potential among the women in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and this bodes well for closing the leadership gender gap that presently exists in many academic and health-care institutions.”
Awardee Emily Hyde, a Master’s student in the College of Nursing, will participate in two programs from the Asper School of Business Executive Education Program.
“By using a feminist lens in the leadership training, I will explore how gender intersects with negotiation and consensus building and conflict management. The courses will help me learn practical strategies which will ultimately lead to improved productivity, job satisfaction and greater overall success for me, members of an inter-professional health care team, and most importantly, the patients.”
Dr. Amani Hamad, who recently completed her PhD degree at the College of Pharmacy and is starting postdoctoral training at the George & Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation, will attend an executive leadership program at McGill University. She says the funding will help solidify her skills and prepare her to be a leader in the highly competitive field of academia.
“I hope to use the skills I learn in the program to lead a multidisciplinary team of researchers and students who will contribute to the success of our research program and achieve their academic and research goals.”
Faculty member Dr. Michelle Driedger, a professor and director of the graduate program in the Max Rady College of Medicine’s department of community health sciences, will attend leadership training workshops delivered by the nationally recognized WinSETT Centre (the Canadian Centre for Women in Science, Engineering, Trades and Technology).
“The partnership between the Winnipeg Foundation’s Martha Donovan Fund and the Rady Faculty to support access to leadership training for women speaks to the challenges many women face in getting appropriate training and mentorship and to feel confident in taking up leadership opportunities when they arise. It just wouldn’t be possible for me to do this program without the support of the Martha Donovan Award,” she said.
The scholarships, supported by The Martha Donovan Fund held at The Winnipeg Foundation, are open to women within the Rady Faculty who are full-time academic faculty members or students/post-doctoral trainees. For the next five years, $50,000 in awards will be made available on an annual basis.
Recipients:
Faculty
- Trina Arnold, College of Nursing
- Versha Banerji, Department of Internal Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine
- Michelle Driedger, Department of Community Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine
Students/Trainees
- Alysa Almojeula, Department of Surgery, Max Rady College of Medicine
- Kaitlin Edwards, Department of Surgery, Max Rady College of Medicine
- Amani Hamad, College of Pharmacy
- Emily Hyde, College of Nursing
- Donica Janzen, College of Pharmacy
- Sarah Lesperance, Department of Community Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine
- Kaye Amira Quizon, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine
- Janine Reid, Department of Internal Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine
- Krystal Thorington, Department of Psychiatry, Max Rady College of Medicine